New Government Rules Could Wipe Out Most Chinese Electric Car Startups

Never forget that China has a “managed economy.” The national government may have embraced elements of capitalism a generation ago, but the country’s leaders are well aware of the problems that can result if capitalism is allowed to run wild. “Boom or bust” syndrome is something the government thinks is bad for the economy in general and especially bad for the burgeoning electric car industry.

To date, more than 200 Chinese startups have announced plans to build an electric car. 100 years ago, every blacksmith and bicycle mechanic in the world was busy building an automobile in the barn at night. Then they started companies to manufacture their creations. Worldwide, thousands if not tens of thousands of nascent car companies have failed over the last century or more.

China looks at the money investors lost backing all those companies that never were. From its managed economy perspective, it thinks funneling more investment into companies that are economically viable is better for the nation than throwing good money after bad and letting market forces determine the winners and losers.

Today in China, every refrigerator manufacturer, moped maker, and backyard tinkerer is jumping into the electric vehicle game. A lot of that frenzy of enthusiasm is fueled by generous government incentives that make “new energy vehicles” affordable for the masses. Those incentives can amount to as much as 60% of the sticker price of a new energy car, which has sparked a huge demand from the public. Right now in China, more than 4000 new models of electric cars are under development. Many of those small companies have no experience building automobiles. Their cars are shoddily made and service after the sale is non-existent.

The government of China says it will now pick the winners itself. Soon, entrepreneurs will need a license from the government to become an automobile manufacturer. (Existing companies like SAIC and BYD will not need to apply for licenses.) According to reports, no more than 10 licenses will be issued — a very small number for such a large country. “There are too many entrants in the sector, and some of them are just speculators,” said Yin Chengliang, a professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s Institute of Automotive Engineering. “The government has to raise the threshold. It’s bad to see irrational investments in projects with low technology levels.”

335,000 new energy vehicles were sold in China last year. By 2025, the government wants that number to rise to 3,000,000 vehicles a year. It will be boom times for whichever companies survive the permitting process.

China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology published a draft policy document for public comment this month. It listed 17 technologies that companies that intend to sell electric cars must have in order to ensure “healthy” development of the industry. The factors include a control system for the performance and stability of any new energy vehicle, an information system that tracks the sources and conditions of key parts, and a process for recycling or reusing batteries.

Citing unnamed sources, Economic Daily, an official newspaper run by the State Council, says 90 percent of the companies currently developing EV platforms won’t be able to meet the standards in two years. A lot of money has been invested in those companies already. “There’s definitely a bubble,” said Yale Zhang, a managing director at researcher Autoforesight Shanghai Co. “If you don’t own the core technology and can’t build up the brand, it’s ‘game over’ very quickly once you burn through the cash.”

Source: Bloomberg

China Built 25,000 Electric Cars & Plug-In Hybrids In June Alone

Aoxin Ibis electric car. Photo by CarNewsChina.com.

The Chinese vehicle market is now the world's largest, and has been for a few years now.

And the country's government-industrial complex has ambitious plans to dominate global production of plug-in electric vehicles, both for reasons of competitiveness and as one effort to start to reduce its endemic and hazardous air pollution.

In the last few months, the country's carmakers have apparently started to build plug-in electric cars--known in China as "New Energy Vehicles"--at rates that exceed those of Japan and the U.S.

According to news site Gasgoo, citing statistics from the Ministry of Industry published in the Beijing Daily, the country's automakers collectively built 25,000 new-energy vehicles in June alone.

Kandi electric car

The total was made up of 10,500 battery-electric and 6,663 plug-in hybrid passenger cars, along with 6,218 battery-electric and 1,645 plug-in hybrid commercial vehicles.

That figure is a huge jump from the pace at the beginning of the year, since it's roughly one-third of the total 78,5000 built during the first six months of the year.

It's important to note, however, that those totals are not directly comparable to total sales of battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles published by Green Car Reports and other outlets.

The North American sales data, both for the U.S. and Canada, include only highway-capable vehicles that meet all Federal motor vehicle safety standards.

BYD e6 electric taxi in service in Shenzhen, China

The Chinese data, on the other hand, includes some proportion of what would be deemed low-speed or neighborhood electric vehicles by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Those vehicles generally have top speeds of 35 mph or so, and often have little more equipment than brakes, lights, wipers, seat belts, and perhaps an audio system.

The Chinese auto industry is now producing plug-in cars in fast-increasing volumes, albeit perhaps not altogether willingly.

But while there's little doubt that the trend will continue, it's important to understand that when discussing China's raw production and sales numbers to those from the U.S., Japan, and various European countries, you're not yet comparing apples to apples.

Any possible Apple electric car, of course, is a different discussion altogether.

China To Punish Automakers That Don’t Meet Fuel Economy Standards

Though China’s lax automotive regulations have been rarely enforced, the central government says that it will begin publicly naming and punishing companies that don’t meet fuel economy and emissions standards, reports Euronews.

China’s major cities have notoriously dangerous levels of smog, and the government is pushing a scrappage program for older vehicles as well as generous incentives towards the purchase of plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles. But it also wants to enforce fuel economy standards that by 2015 call for average fuel consumption of 6.9 liters per 100km, which works out to about 34 MPG. By 2020, the average MPG rises to over 47 MPG, and automakers that don’t comply face stiff penalties.

Beginning in 2015 the government plans to clamp down on non-compliant automakers, limiting their production and levying fines against companies that don’t meet the call for higher fuel economy. New models that don’t meet standards will be banned from production, and the government will halt expansion plans of companies whose cars aren’t up to snuff. Of the 85 automakers selling vehicles in China, about 30% of them (almost all of them native Chinese companies) failed to meet last year’s standards, and while the government has turned a blind eye in the past, those days are over. 13 international automakers also failed to meet those standards, including GM and Nissan, but have a wider product portfolio to draw upon.

Unfortunately for China’s budding auto industry, few domestic automakers are expected to be able to meet the fuel economy standards set for 2020. One of the exceptions is BYD, which has embraced a fully-electrified lineup of hybrid and electric cars, but many smaller companies will struggle with these standards. It will likely lead to a serious consolidation of the oversaturated Chinese car market.

This move is another, more subtle way of China pushing automakers to develop more hybrid and electric vehicles, which up until this year have sold pretty poorly in the People’s Republic of China. But a new round of insanely generous incentives have propped up the EV industry in a big way, and China stands to become the biggest market for electric cars in the world.

Source: Gas 2.

BYD Planning Hybrid Supercar Codenamed “Han”

Warren Buffett-backed BYD has big green plans for China’s car market, and a hybrid-electric supercar codenamed “Han” is among them. With a body built from composite materials and a predicted 0 to 60 MPH sprint of under 4 seconds, the BYD Han sounds like a legitimate BMW i8 contender…if it’s more than just vaporware.

BYD wants to be China’s greenest automaker, and its making a bid for market share here in the U.S. as well. The BYD Qin is the current hybrid flagship for the Chinese automaker, which uses a 1.5 liter turbo engine and a hybrid electric drivetrain to go from 0 to 60 MPH in 5.9 seconds. An upcoming SUV uses the same hybrid drivetrain paired with a 2.0 liter turbo engine to drop a second off of the acceleration time, and in a lightweight, Ferrari-like supercar, that setup would be pretty dang potent.

Of course that’s if it proves to be more than just chatter from the often overly-ambitious BYD. So far Chinese consumers and governments have been hesitant to buy electric or hybrid vehicles, and the people in power have been slow to act.

But I won’t begrudge BYD for trying to bring some performance into its green car lineup, and maybe it will get some American automakers to pay attention to the trend of hybrid supercars. I want a hybrid Corvette, dagnabbit.

Source: China Car Times

BYD to Introduce Cars to US Showrooms in 2015

Following through on plans postponed in 2010, Chinese electric and conventional automaker BYD says it will launch four new models to U.S. showrooms by late next year.

Its plans follow other Chinese automakers with eyes on the U.S. market, and the company actually already has a U.S. presence with intent to begin production this March of electric buses at its Lancaster, Calif. factory.

BYD’s automotive efforts are focused largely on electric cars, and the company is backed by Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. It has spent three years reorganizing, reducing its number of dealerships to cut losses, and develop its products.

In an interview in China with Automotive News, the company’s senior vice president in charge of the its U.S. business, Stella Li, said BYD has improved its financial strength and competitive advantages.

“BYD has become more fashionable and we have improved our design and safety,” said Li, “We don’t want to compete on price anymore, but on quality and innovation.”

Li said the likely premier model it will introduce to U.S. buyers is one it just launched at home, the Qin plug-in hybrid. It’s named after the dynasty of the Chinese emperor who unified the country, and starts at 189,800 yuan ($31,400) before government subsidies.

What it would sell for in the U.S. is not known, but performance is 0-62 mph in 5.9 seconds, about equal to the 60-kwh Tesla Model S, and electric only range is said to be a Chevy Volt-beating 43.5 miles.

Previous plans postponed in 2010 were to sell its electric e6, which has been imported to other countries for consumers and taxi fleet duty, but what else it will launch in late-2015 was not shared.

Its efforts coincide with those of Geely, which reportedly plans in 2016 to launch cars developed along with Volvo, which its parent company owns.

Another company with possible aspirations for the U.S. market is China’s largest SUV maker, Great Wall Motor. It has said it does not have an official time-frame for this move, however.

Meanwhile Li said BYD is finding less resistance launching its electric k9 buses and e6 cars in markets other than Shanghai or Beijing.

Li told Automotive News BYD was politically blocked from qualifying for local incentives in these major Chinese cities as local authorities are protecting local manufacturers. BYD is a relative outsider from Shenzhen in southern Guangdong province.

“It’s disheartening as a Chinese to see how local interests are holding back the adoption of electric vehicles,” Li said. “It’s easier to sell our buses and cars to Sao Paulo, California or Israel than in Beijing and Shanghai. And those places have better air than China.”

Tempering the positive plans is the observation from Shanghai –based Han Weiqi, an analyst with CSC International Holdings Ltd.

Weiqi said BYD has a track record of announcing bigger plans than what it can deliver.

Whether that is true or not, industry watchers have been bracing for not if but when the Chinese automakers would make actual moves toward the U.S.

U.S. automakers wishing to do business in China must partner with a government-sponsored joint-venture partner, or face stiff tariffs.

The U.S. does not impose such restrictions on Chinese automakers, and it appears BYD intends to take the country up on its opportunities.

Its move follows inroads taken by other Asian imports in automotive history, most recently being Hyundai and Kia.

There were quality and teething issues, political and other concerns, but Hyundai and Kia are now in a relatively strong position, and growing.

It appears 2015 is the year BYD sets up shop, and we’ll see whether it can hit the ground running, or how much stumbling is involved.

Automotive News

Rotterdam using BYD e6 for electric taxi fleet

Rotterdam Taxi Centre (RTC), one of the biggest taxi operators in the Netherlands, is switching to electric taxis and has put into service two BYD e6 models, following successful extensive operation with an e6 model. RTC plans to extend its fleet of emissions free pure electric taxis to 25 within the next 18 months, according to CEO Sjaak de Winter.

The City will install the 500^th charging point next week, supplied with ‘green’ electricity from renewable sources. The successful trials of the BYD e6 taxi has demonstrated that the car has sufficient range to cover a typical day’s operating cycle on a single charge and can be recharged quickly during breaks when required.

The BYD e6 is a five-passenger, crossover vehicle powered by the BYD Fe battery (lithium-iron phosphate). The battery has a more than 4,000 rated cycle life with the highest safety level in the industry. It takes only two hours to fully charge the e6 using an AC fast charging solution developed by BYD. This pure EV can then travel for up to 300 km (190 miles).

e6 electric taxi. Click to enlarge

BYD e6 EV will be sold in the US only to fleet buyers

It looks like those long curious to ride in a BYD battery-electric car in the US will only be able to do so from the back of a cab. The China-based company, which has for years been trumpeting a potential entry into the US light-vehicle market with the all-electric e6 sedan, will only sell the EV here to fleet buyers, Green Car Reports says. That means no private EV sales to Americans, at least for now.

The company, whose share price has dropped about 75 percent during the past three years because of lower-than-expected sales, said last month that it may eventually stop making gas-powered cars and limit light-duty vehicle production to just hybrids and plug-ins. BYD, which also makes an all-electric bus, moved about 1,700 plug-in vehicles last year. Since December, the company has reached municipal and taxi-cab sales agreements with its hometown of Shenzhen as well as with Bogota, Colombia.

Source: Autoblog Green

Initial details on fiery crash involving BYD e6 that killed 3

Three passengers in a BYD e6 taxicab, including the driver, were killed in an accident in Shenzhen on 26 May.

BYD e6 in flames following crash. Click to enlarge.

In its microblog on weibo.com, Shenzhen traffic police say the accident happened at about 3:08 in the early morning on Binhai Dadao (Beach Boulevard) near the city’s downtown. A drunk driver crashed a high-speed Nissan GT-R into a BYD e6, and then collided with another, gasoline taxicab. The e6 hit a tree before bursting into flames. The GR-R was traveling at no less than 180km/h [112 mph], an eyewitness told Guangzhou TV reporting on the crash. The driver and two female passengers on the pure-electric car apparently never had a chance to get out. A person in the other taxi suffered minor injuries. The drunk driver ran away from the scene, but turned himself in to the police later that morning, at about 10.

News about the accident has spread quickly as speculation mounts over the cause of the EV fire and its possible effects on BYD and the industry. It evokes the burning of a Zotye EV, which also served as a taxicab (no one was injured in that case)...While the e6 was obviously not at fault, people want to know why an EV, without a gas tank, can burn to ashes in minutes. Many of them still remember the words of Wang Chuanfu, Chairman of BYD: “Batteries from BYD would not explode even if you throw them into a fire.”

About 400 e6s are in service in Shenzhen as taxis; the city plans to grow the fleet to 800 units this year. BYD has not yet issued a statement about the crash.

BYD e6 available to U.S. consumers in 2010 2011 2012 2013; Hertz gets it first

The BYD E6 is a football. No, not a political one like the Chevy Volt. Rather, it is the pigskin that the cartoon character Lucy would hold in place, but then snatch away when Charlie Brown's ever-hopeful foot was in mid-swing.

BYD has, yet again, placed an example of its all-electric e6 crossover on display at an American auto show and is, once more, teasing us with promises of bringing it to the U.S. market. This time, for reals. Yeah, we've heard similar claims about 2010, which were then changed to 2011. Then shifted to 2012 and, later, mid-2012.

Now, BYD USA president Michael Austin says that the vehicle will be certified for sale in the U.S. before the end of the year and, after first being made available to fleets such as Hertz (with whom BYD already has a relationship), will be offered for sale to consumers. There is, however, one slight caveat. He also mentioned that would only happen when the charging network is further developed.

Apparently, the company doesn't believe that charging infrastructure in the U.S. has evolved to the point where the E6, with its 186-mile estimated range, is yet practical for buyers. This was, if you'll recall, also last year's stated excuse for the delays. While it it tempting to point out that the 73-mile Nissan Leaf has sold over 11,000 units in the past year and so this is really a poor pretense, we will refrain.

Instead, we will point to the fact the BYD actually has an American headquarters and remind ourselves that we've spoken to at least one dealer who has one on hand for prospective buyers to check out. We can't help but wonder though if, by the time it goes on sale, the BYD vehicle will actually be branded a Denza.



Source: Autoblog Green

BYD e6 EV now available for consumers in China

The BYD e6 electric vehicle will now be available for consumer purchases in China; previously, the e6 was only available for fleet purchases. Consumers in Shenzhen will receive a substantial government subsidy—equivalent to about US$18,000 (or 120,000 RMB)—and the e6 unsubsidized price will start at ~$56,900 (or 369,800 RMB). The final price to consumers will be ~$38,430 (or 249,800 RMB).

This is the first domestic all-electric vehicle for sale to consumers in China. BYD e6s have been in operation in government and taxi fleets for nearly 18 months. The Shenzhen taxi fleet, using BYD’s e6 exclusively, have accumulated more than 3.8 million fleet miles (or 6 million km).

Powered by BYD’s independently developed lithium iron-phosphate batteries, BYD’s e6 has a driving range of more than 190 miles (or 300 km), according to the company.

With the launch of the consumer e6, BYD is also deploying some new breakthrough technologies and high-end equipment as standard in this model. This launched e6 will implement the newly developed “i” System (also called “BYD-i”). BYD-i was researched and developed by BYD independently, allowing many vehicle functions to be performed remotely by smartphone and using cloud-data for driving assistance. “i” is an in-vehicle network platform, capable of wirelessly communicating vehicle systems’ information and providing remote-control access through secure wireless devices.

The new e6 is continuously connected to the internet and the mobile communication network through BYD-i, and owners can utilize their smart phones to lock and unlock car doors remotely, initiate air-conditioning (to heat or cool the interior), location-based services (and vehicle location), search for news, or real-time information (stocks/flights/weather), as well as communicate with a service call center for help or time of accident.

Source: Green Car Congress

Daimler and BYD to Collaborate on EV Coming This Spring

Opposites, it’s said, attract. And automakers don’t come much more opposite than Daimler AG and BYD. Daimler is the parent to such prestigious brands as Maybach and Mercedes-Benz, and is known the world over for building fine and durable automobiles.

BYD, on the other hand, is best known for missing deadlines, delaying launches and, possibly, ignoring patent law. Even in its home market of China, the maker of the Corolla clone F3--China's most popular car--is hardly seen as a desirable brand.

Why, then, would Daimler partner with BYD to deliver co-branded products to the Chinese market? As our own Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield explains, it’s a marriage of necessity; Daimler needs an electric vehicle partner in China, and BYD needs the credibility of a Daimler co-brand.

BYD e6 electric taxi in service in Shenzhen, China

According to Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche, the design of the electric car the companies are working on is now “frozen,” with initial prototypes due next April. That means the joint venture project is on track, although Zetsche admits that the relationship with BYD hasn’t been what it first seemed.

As Zetsche explained to InsideLine, BYD Chairman Wang Chuanfu seemed like a man “who could walk on water--which he can’t.” Zetsche also said that BYD’s “revolutionary” battery technology simply didn’t exist, which forced Mercedes to do most of the development work itself on the pair's upcoming Chinese-market electric car.

Still, Zetsche reiterated, “@e’re very confident about this company,” largely due to the support BYD has received from the Chinese government. For now, domestically produced electric vehicles are eligible for a $9,200 subsidy from the Chinese government, which can be backed by another $9,200 subsidy from one of five major Chinese cities.

That currently makes electric cars a low-cost option in China, but there’s evidence to suggest that support for electric-car subsidies in China may be waning. That doesn’t phase Zetsche, who sees the relationship with BYD as a long-term one, saying, “it’s short-sighted to go to China, make money and run.”

While the U.S. won’t see the fruits of Daimler and BYD’s labors, we will see a BYD e6 electric car in the near future. There’s talk that the crossover will cost $35,000 in the U.S. market and offer a 200-mile range, but don’t expect to see such a creature before mid-2012...at the earliest.

Source: Green Car Reports

BYD signs MOU to discuss EV JV in Singapore; distributing eBUSes and e6 taxis

SMRT Corporation Ltd. and its wholly owned subsidiary SMRT International Pte Ltd, a multi-modal transport service provider in Singapore, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with BYD Company Limited to enter into discussions regarding the possibility of establishing a joint venture to distribute BYD’s eBUSes and e6 Taxis in Singapore.

SMRT became the first public transport provider in Singapore and South East Asia to purchase Euro V compliant buses in May 2008 and now has more than 140 Euro V buses on the roads. SMRT Corporation Ltd’s Executive Vice President, Commercial Business & Roads, Teo Chew Hoon said that the company is exploring the use of electric vehicles in its bus and taxi fleets.

The BYD eBUS-12 and the e6 taxis both can travel up to 300 km (186 miles) with a single electric charge. The BYD e6 has been used as taxis in Shenzhen, China for more than a year; the fleet of 50 e6 Shenzhen taxis, in service since May 2010, have now surpassed 3 million kilometers (1.86 million miles) in cumulative fleet miles.

Source: Green Car Congress

First European BYD e6 EVs to arrive in Rotterdam City

BYD Company Ltd (BYD) and Rotterdam City entered into an agreement to deliver BYD’s all-electric e6 vehicles as part of the Netherlands’ green transportation project “75-EV-RO”; these will be the first BYD e6s in Europe.

Netherlands Prince Maurits van Oranje test drives the BYD all-electric e6 in Rotterdam. Click to enlarge.

As part of the 75-EV-RO project, the Rotterdam government plans to purchase 75 new energy vehicles of different types to create a new energy fleet in Rotterdam. These projects are intended to not only popularize the concept of electrified transportation, but also resolve public concerns over vehicle safety, charging technology and local environment impact.

Equipped with a Li iron phosphate battery pack, the e6 (a 5-seat crossover all-electric vehicle) can travel up to 300 km (186 miles) per charge. The BYD e6 has been used as taxis in Shenzhen, China for more than a year; the fleet of 50 e6 Shenzhen taxis, in service since May 2010, have now surpassed 3 million kilometers (1.86 million miles) in cumulative fleet miles.

Source: Green Car Congress

BYD reports plug-in fleet test results; rapid charging not diminishing capacity

BYD all-electric e6 Taxi in service in Shenzhen. Click to enlarge.

In conjunction with the one-year anniversary of its all-electric vehicle Taxi fleet test, BYD announced high-level results of several pilots of its plug-in electric vehicles—the F3DM, e6 and eBUS-12—in fleet testing across the world.

In total, BYD plug-ins have accumulated more than 1.769 million all-electric miles (2.847 million km) and have seen no diminished range or capacity due to rapid-charging. BYD vehicles are estimated to have already saved $360,000 in fuel costs and more than 2.776 million lbs (1.26 million kg) of carbon-dioxide.

50 of BYD’s e6, five-seat crossover vehicles, each with a range of more than 160 miles (300 km) and a top speed of 88 mph (140 km/h), have been in service at Shenzhen-based Pengcheng Electric Taxi Company since 29 April 2010. The Shenzhen e6 Taxi fleet has now accumulated ~1,730,000 all-electric miles (2.77 million kilometers). The distance traveled for single fleet vehicles has reached ~63,000 miles each (>100,000 km).

250 more eTaxis are being delivered to the International University in Shenzhen before August this year. According to collected data, the per-car-fuel-savings is more than $1,167 per Taxi per month (driving an average of 400 km per day). BYD’s all-electric Taxis are expected to help Shenzhen avoid about 133 lbs (or 60.4 kg) of carbon-dioxide emissions per day per taxi. This is an equivalent of 2,425,060 lbs (or 1.1M kg) of carbon-dioxide pollution saved by this fleet in the first year.

BYD said that the most important finding in the e6 fleet testing was that there has been no noticeable energy drop—both driving range and battery performance has been stable in rapid-charging conditions over the 1.73M miles tested.

The results of the e6 fleet, which was continuously rapid charged in 20-30 minutes, provide a proven track record for its Iron-Phosphate battery technology, BYD said.

BYD also reported on its F3DM fleet which BYD launched in its first US tests at the Housing Authority of Los Angeles (HACLA). The F3DM can travel more than 40 miles (64 km) all-electric but can be engaged to act as a Hybrid-Electric (HEV) to extend its range up to 300 miles (483 km). The HACLA fleet has now accumulated ~10,430 miles (16,785 km) all-electric and 14,430 total miles (23,223 km); 4,000 fuel-driven miles when extended range was necessary.

The fleet is achieving an equivalent of 88 mpg (2.67 L/100km) and BYD estimates the per-car-savings—even netting out EV charging and electricity costs—is ~70%. BYD’s dual-mode cars are expected to save HACLA about 37 lbs (16.8 kg) of carbon-dioxide per-day-per-auto when driven to the EV range.

In China, BYD launched an all-electric bus fleet with the eBUS-12 in Shenzhen and Changsha, China in January 2011. These fleets have already accumulated 28,802 all-electric miles (46,380 km) while undergoing a 3-hour-charge of the 324 kWh FE battery. An example of the per-eBUS-savings for Shenzhen’s Bus Line 202 (driving only 200 km per day) is about $2,833 monthly per eBUS. 300 more buses will be delivered to Shenzhen in August of this year. BYD’s all-electric eBUSes save about 708 lbs (322 kg) in carbon-dioxide emissions per eBUS per day.

Source: Green Car Congress

BYD Readies Electric Car Dealers for Late 2011 U.S. Launch

BYD e6 Electric Vehicle









The next big thing in the automobile industry is off to a small start in Glendale.

Chinese carmaker BYD Co. is using a Brand Boulevard dealership to help launch its American sales effort. For several months a handful of BYD workers have occupied an office off the showroom of Cars 911 at 400 S. Brand Blvd. They’re planning the North American debut of the company’s all-electric and gas-sipping economy cars.

The team also has been servicing a fleet of 10 BYD vehicles leased to the Housing Authority of Los Angeles.

Bill Wang, a business development manager in Glendale, said BYD has lined up about 10 dealerships across the country for fleet and consumer sales slated to begin in late 2011 and early 2012.

Michael Austin, Chicago-based vice president of BYD America, credited Onnik Mehrabian, owner of the Cars 911 lot, for welcoming his operation.

“Onnik’s a great corporate citizen,” Austin said. “He was willing to let us train our technicians and service the vehicles there.”

Mehrabian has expressed an interest in hosting a BYD dealership in Glendale, according to Cars 911 lot manager Patrick Shah. Austin said it is too early to comment on whether that will happen.

Mehrabian could not be reached for comment.

Meanwhile, BYD — fourth-largest carmaker in China — is building its North American headquarters on Figueroa Street downtown, using several alternative-energy and energy-saving features.

Despite a rough fourth quarter — a 94% drop in profits off of slumping sales in China — the company is staging an aggressive effort to enter the U.S. market. It also has a high-profile investor in Warren Buffett.

Austin said the company decided to establish headquarters in L.A. because of the city’s glamorous reputation in China, and because it’s a good place to launch a green technology business. BYD hopes to sell as many as 20,000 cars in the U.S. next year, about 4% of what it sold in China last year, he added.

The company’s all-electric E-6 can go nearly 200 miles without a charge and will sell for about the same price as a Nissan Leaf, Austin said. A new Leaf retails for roughly $32,000.

But breaking into the American market might not be easy.

“The paradigm of driving a Chinese car in the U.S. is going to be hard to break,” Austin said.

But he said Kia and Hyundai have proven that Americans will take to new makes and models, adding that high gasoline prices were stoking consumer interest.

“The American public has been tolerant through several entrances, and we are hopeful they are just as tolerant with us,” he said.



Source: Glendale News Press

BYD's Two New Green Vehicles Will Make European Premiere at 2011 Geneva Motor Show

PRESS RELEASE

BYD Co., Ltd (BYD) will showcase two new electric vehicles at the upcoming 2011 Geneva International Motor Show (GIMS) from March 1st to 13th. At the 2011 GIMS, BYD will present its overall "Three Green Dreams" Strategy for the European market. With the showcase of BYD's updated pure-electric vehicle 2012 e6-Eco (European Premiere), the core technology of BYD e-Bus K9, the world's first independent 4WD dual-mode electric SUV S6DM (European Premiere), and the world's first dual-mode electric vehicle F3DM, BYD aims to spot its green technology at the 2011 GIMS with the "Green City Solution" which can offer the leading models and the relevant charging facilities in conformity with the development of society.

"Three Green Dreams"

As an IT, automobile and new energy business leader, BYD's "Three Green Dreams" are based on these three pillars of its R&D:

1) Affordable solar power
2) Environmentally-friendly energy storage
3) Electrified transportation

The clean energy generated by solar power station can be stored in the energy storage station, and charge the electric vehicles efficiently according to the users' need. This shows the whole process of generating, storing and using clean energy from the sun with the integrated application of solar technology, battery technology and EV technology.

"Green City Solution"

Based on the EV technology, BYD's "Green City Solution" is both a long-term and short-term one-stop solution to optimize the application of energy by means of electrifying urban public transportation including city buses and city taxis, so as to reduce air pollution and carbon emissions at a low cost and in a sustainable way. With the "Green City Solution", the current combustion engine buses and taxis can be replaced by electric ones which can not only help to lessen the air pollution from the transportation sector dramatically, but also can greatly reduce human dependence on oil. BYD's "Green City Solution" is such a feasible way to help create the green economy which enables society to generate more each year while preserving or enhancing natural capital.

European Premiere Models: 2012 e6-Eco and S6DM

BYD's pure-electric vehicle -- the 2012 e6-Eco and the brand-new dual mode electric SUV -- the S6DM will make their European premieres at the 2011 IGMS.

The new 5-seat crossover -- the 2012 e6-Eco has a more dynamic and sporty exterior design. Equipped with BYD Fe battery, the e6-Eco has an expected range of 300km in urban roads condition. It only takes 40 minutes to fully charge the e6 by a 100KW quick charger.

The BYD S6DM SUV is the world's first Independent 4WD Dual Mode Electric SUV. Traveling over 60km purely on electric power and over 495km (310 miles) extended range with the high- efficiency 2.0L gasoline engine, this SUV sports a 10kW electric motor (M1) paired with a smooth 6-speed dual-clutch transmission propelling the front wheels while a powerful 75kW electric motor (M2) powers the rear wheels.

e-Bus: K9

As the world's first pure electric bus powered by BYD "Fe" battery, the core technology of K9 is another BYD breakthrough in the field of electrified public transportation. The 12-meter-long e-bus is specially designed with in-wheel drive motor, electronically controlled air suspension system (ECAS), low-floor and ample space. The K9 is able to run 250+km on a single charge in urban road conditions with the environmentally-friendly and powerful "Fe" battery.

Dual Mode Electric Vehicle: F3DM

The world's first Dual Mode electric vehicle --F3DM low-carbon version also features the BYD Fe battery together with a BYD 371QA 1.0liter gasoline engine. This vehicle is equipped with a solar panel sunroof to parallel charge the Fe battery. Powered by the Fe battery pack alone, the F3DM can travel over 60km in urban road conditions. The combined range of the HEV mode allows the car to achieve 500 km with a maximum speed of 150km/h.

About BYD

BYD Co., Ltd (BYD) is a listed company in the Hong Kong Stock Exchange that specializes in IT, automobile, and new energy. Being the largest rechargeable battery manufacturer of the world, BYD entered the auto business in 2003, and it has kept a robust yearly growth rate successively. In the auto business, BYD is a global pioneer in the field of new energy vehicles including Dual Mode Electric Models and Pure Electric Models. BYD has also focused on the Research & Development and manufacturing of a wide range of new energy products, including the LED lighting, energy storage system and solar energy products.

BYD's Two New Green Vehicles Will Make European Premiere at 2011 Geneva Motor Show

China-based BYD Co., Ltd will stage the European premiere of two electric vehicles at the upcoming 2011 Geneva International Motor Show in March: the updated pure-electric vehicle 2012 e6-Eco and the independent 4WD dual-mode electric SUV S6DM. The company will also present its overall “Three Green Dreams” strategy for the European market as well as show the core technology of BYD e-Bus K9 and the dual-mode electric vehicle F3DM.

The 2012 e6-Eco 5-seat crossover is equipped with a BYD Li-ion battery pack and has an expected range of 300 km (186 miles) in urban roads condition. It takes 40 minutes to fully charge the e6 using a 100 kW quick charger.

The BYD S6DM SUV can travel more than 60 km (37 miles) purely on electric power and more than 495 km (308 miles) in extended range with the 2.0L gasoline engine. The hybrid system includes a 10 kW electric motor (M1) paired with a 6-speed dual-clutch transmission propelling the front wheels while a 75 kW electric motor (M2) powers the rear wheels.

BYD’s “Three Green Dreams” are based on these three pillars of its R&D:

• Affordable solar power
• Environmentally-friendly energy storage
• Electrified transportation

Source: Green Car Congress

China's BYD to Begin Test-Market Deployment of e6 in US Late in 2011

The Wall Street Journal reports that China’s BYD Co. plans to start test-marketing the e6 battery-electric vehicle in the US next year after almost a year’s delay, and is in talks with officials in Los Angeles to supply e-buses that could eventually lead to a manufacturing plant in the city.

Stella Li, BYD’s senior vice president and head of its US operations, said the holdup was caused by BYD’s efforts to make the car roomier, especially its rear-seat area that was cramped thanks to a beefy battery pack that needs to be stored under the seat. In a recent telephone interview, she denied that the delay had anything to do with a possible intellectual-property infringement on certain battery technology by BYD.

...She said BYD plans to ship as many as 50 e6 electric cars by the end of next year to fleet customers in Southern California, including the municipal government of Los Angeles. BYD earlier this year began selling e6 cars to taxi operators in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen and is collecting field data to improve the car. Ms. Li said BYD will make the e6 available for purchases by private buyers in the US in 2012. She declined to forecast demand, saying it “will depend on gasoline prices and other peripheral factors.”

BYD Abandons F3e Battery Electric Vehicle

The BYD e6 Electric Vehicle








BYD has decided not to put the F3e EV into production due to the lack of an enabling environment for electric cars in China, according to a report in China Business News which cited Wang Jianjun, deputy general manager of BYD Automotive Sales Co Ltd.

The Shenzhen-based automaker was initially engaged in development of all-electric vehicles, but changed its mind after a market investigation and consultation with the dealers for everyone thought there were still problems with the supporting infrastructure and market environment at the moment and what the company needed were transitional products. It therefore created the F3DM, a plug-in hybrid compact sedan, Wan said.

BYD Co, backed by US billionaire Warren Buffet, also established three charging stations as part of a pilot program in Shenzhen in 2007. Ia Hipping, general manager of BYD Automotive Sales Co Ltd. said then commercial production of the F3E would be achieved in three years and the price would be controlled below 150,000 yuan ($22,400). However, the BYD F3DM was somehow launched first in December 2008 and the F3e was abandoned, and the reason is just as Wan said—a problem of ancillary environment. It is infeasible to extensively promote all-electric vehicles before the supporting infrastructure is well improved in the country.

BYD Bringing E6 To US For Government Fleet Use

The BYD All-Electric E6 Sedan










BYD Auto Co. recently said it would locate its U.S. headquarters in Los Angeles and begin selling a plug-in electric car in the United States by year end. But the Chinese automaker has a history of big announcements that don't pan out.

This time may be different. But don't expect to see a BYD-badged electric vehicle on your street any time soon -- unless, perhaps, you live in downtown Los Angeles.

"Initially, we will sell the e6 electric car to government agencies to get feedback," Fred Ni, general manager of BYD's North America operations, told Automotive News on the sidelines of an international trade conference here. "We may not start immediately marketing to individuals."

In 2007, BYD unveiled plans to mass-produce an electric car. It showed an early version of the e6 at the 2008 Beijing auto show. But the car just went on sale in China, and only to government fleets.

No. 7 in China

BYD, formed in 1995 as a maker of cell phone batteries, began manufacturing cars in 2003. A portion of the company, including its automotive unit, is listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange. The unlisted portion is closely held.

It is the seventh-largest automaker in China and sold about 450,000 units in 2009, according to J.D. Power and Associates. This year BYD aims to sell 800,000 units. Its gasoline-powered F3 small car, priced at around $7,500, was China's top-selling model in 2009 at more than 280,000 units.

Measured by revenue, BYD Auto was China's 14th-largest vehicle manufacturer, according to a list compiled by the China Machinery Industry Federation and China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. BYD's 2009 revenues totaled 21.5 billion yuan ($3.14 billion).

BYD has sold no plug-in electric cars and only a few hundred plug-in hybrid cars, all in China. Kevin Huang, a market analyst in Guangzhou, China, with JATO Dynamics, questions the public perception of BYD as a high-tech company. "When people talk about BYD, they think of 'battery car' rather than 'cheap,'" he says. "But low price is still the major reason for its rapid growth."

Ni says BYD is talking with dealership groups in the United States about a partnership that would serve as a distribution network. He would not give specific names.

Battery doubts

Distribution is not the only hurdle the Chinese brand faces here. The brand is not well known, and consumer trust of its technology will be hard to gain, says Duan Chengwu, senior technical analyst in Shanghai with IHS Global Insight. "There is no solid evidence to convince consumers that their battery technology is mature enough," he says.

Indeed, Long Nanyao, vice chairman of InterChina Consulting, says BYD's battery technology is not ready for high-volume use in the auto industry. BYD's quality control is not stringent enough for the charging and discharging cycles required for multicell traction battery packs, he says.

"They are coming from a 'good enough' mentality, with lower accuracies and wider tolerances," Long says. "We do expect BYD to make breakthroughs, but we also expect it to take time."

Nevertheless, Warren Buffett's Mid-American Energy Holdings gave BYD's technology a vote of confidence with a $230 million investment. Mid-American declined to comment for this story.

BYD's electric cars use a lithium ion phosphate battery developed by parent BYD Co., a major global manufacturer of lithium ion batteries for cell phones. BYD says the battery can go more than 200 miles on a charge.

Industry experts say that could be true -- when the battery is brand-new and the driving conditions are ideal, with few stops or hills and not much drain by the air-conditioning system, for example.

Ni grants that the 200-mile estimate was "under specific conditions," but insists they are similar to testing conditions used by other automakers. "If you are driving in 100-degree weather and running the air conditioner all the time," it might not hold true, he says.

L.A.'s lure

Vance Baugham, president of the World Trade Center Association of Los Angeles-Long Beach, visited BYD in China and helped lure the automaker to Los Angeles. The bait included lowered fees at the Port of Los Angeles, help renovating the building in downtown Los Angeles that will serve as BYD's headquarters and promises of sales to the Los Angeles County and Los Angeles municipal fleets. BYD also signed a deal with the city's Department of Light and Power to install a network of residential and public charging stations, he says.

Baugham is not concerned about the timing of the launch of BYD cars in the United States. The company also will promote its solar panel, energy storage, and LED lighting technology at its Los Angeles headquarters.

"They are not [just] an automobile company," Baugham says. "They are a series of companies."

After the e6, BYD likely will bring a hybrid model to the United States, Ni says. It will be based on the F3DM hybrid currently on sale in China, but styled differently. Says Ni: "We will make the car more attractive."


Source: Automotive News